سُورَةُ يُوسُفَ
Reading Tafsir al-Tustari by Sahl al-Tustari
Ayahs 81–90 of 111
ٱرْجِعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَبِيكُمْ فَقُولُوا۟ يَٰٓأَبَانَآ إِنَّ ٱبْنَكَ سَرَقَ وَمَا شَهِدْنَآ إِلَّا بِمَا عَلِمْنَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِلْغَيْبِ حَٰفِظِينَ
Return to your father and say, "O our father, indeed your son has stolen, and we did not testify except to what we knew. And we were not witnesses of the unseen,
Explained together with ayah 80
وَسْـَٔلِ ٱلْقَرْيَةَ ٱلَّتِى كُنَّا فِيهَا وَٱلْعِيرَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَقْبَلْنَا فِيهَا ۖ وَإِنَّا لَصَٰدِقُونَ
And ask the city in which we were and the caravan in which we came - and indeed, we are truthful,"
Explained together with ayah 80
قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًۭا ۖ فَصَبْرٌۭ جَمِيلٌ ۖ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَأْتِيَنِى بِهِمْ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
[Jacob] said, "Rather, your souls have enticed you to something, so patience is most fitting. Perhaps Allah will bring them to me all together. Indeed it is He who is the Knowing, the Wise."
Explained together with ayah 80
وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَٰٓأَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَٱبْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ ٱلْحُزْنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌۭ
And he turned away from them and said, "Oh, my sorrow over Joseph," and his eyes became white from grief, for he was [of that] a suppressor.
Explained together with ayah 80
قَالُوا۟ تَٱللَّهِ تَفْتَؤُا۟ تَذْكُرُ يُوسُفَ حَتَّىٰ تَكُونَ حَرَضًا أَوْ تَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْهَٰلِكِينَ
They said, "By Allah, you will not cease remembering Joseph until you become fatally ill or become of those who perish."
�until you are consumed It was related from ʿAlī that he said, �The word ḥaraḍ means affliction due to pain in the heart.�Ibn ʿAbbās y said, �Ḥaraḍ is [severe sickness] close to death. Sahl said:It means being impaired (fāsid) in body and in deed because of grief. His grief was only on account of Joseph�s religion and not for the sake of [Joseph] himself, for he knew that if he died upon his religion he would be united with him in the Hereafter that is everlasting, but if he changed his religion they would never be united ever again. It was related from Sufyān that he said, �Verily when the one bringing good tidings [of Joseph] came to Jacob , he asked him, �What was his religion when you left him?� He replied, �It was the religion of submission to God (islām).� So Jacob said, �Now the blessing is complete.��His words, Exalted is He:
قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَشْكُوا۟ بَثِّى وَحُزْنِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
He said, "I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah, and I know from Allah that which you do not know.
�I complain of my anguish and grief only to God�That is, �My anxiety (hamm) and sorrow (ḥuzn)�.Sahl said:Jacob�s grief was not over Joseph, but it [his grief] was an expression of the deep emotion (wajd) he felt in his heart after being separated from Joseph. For he asked himself, �How great would be the feelings I would experience if I were to be separated from God, Mighty and Majestic is He, when separation from a creature had caused me to act in such a way?� So he complained of his distraction and anguish to God, Exalted is He, and to no one else.His words, Exalted is He:
يَٰبَنِىَّ ٱذْهَبُوا۟ فَتَحَسَّسُوا۟ مِن يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلَا تَا۟يْـَٔسُوا۟ مِن رَّوْحِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يَا۟يْـَٔسُ مِن رَّوْحِ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلْقَوْمُ ٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ
O my sons, go and find out about Joseph and his brother and despair not of relief from Allah. Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people."
�And do not despair of God�s [gracious] spirit�The best and highest form of service (khidma) is waiting for relief (intiẓār al-faraj) from God, Exalted is He, as it has been related from Ibn ʿUmar y that the Prophet said: �Waiting for relief with patience is worship (ʿibāda).� The relief for which one waits is of two kinds: one is close (qarīb) and the other distant (baʿīd). That which is close is in the secret that is between the servant and his Lord. That which is distant relates to [that which is between] people, and whoever looks to [relief that is] far away is veiled from what is close at hand. His words, Exalted is He:
فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِ قَالُوا۟ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْعَزِيزُ مَسَّنَا وَأَهْلَنَا ٱلضُّرُّ وَجِئْنَا بِبِضَٰعَةٍۢ مُّزْجَىٰةٍۢ فَأَوْفِ لَنَا ٱلْكَيْلَ وَتَصَدَّقْ عَلَيْنَآ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَجْزِى ٱلْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ
So when they entered upon Joseph, they said, "O 'Azeez, adversity has touched us and our family, and we have come with goods poor in quality, but give us full measure and be charitable to us. Indeed, Allah rewards the charitable."
�They said, �O mighty Governor, misfortune has befallen us and our family.�� That is, �O great king�, and its inner meaning is: �O you, the one who has conquered himself, just as God, Exalted is He, has said, And overpowered me with his words [38:23], meaning, he conquered me through them. His words, Exalted is He:
قَالَ هَلْ عَلِمْتُم مَّا فَعَلْتُم بِيُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ إِذْ أَنتُمْ جَٰهِلُونَ
He said, "Do you know what you did with Joseph and his brother when you were ignorant?"
Explained together with ayah 88
قَالُوٓا۟ أَءِنَّكَ لَأَنتَ يُوسُفُ ۖ قَالَ أَنَا۠ يُوسُفُ وَهَٰذَآ أَخِى ۖ قَدْ مَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْنَآ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ مَن يَتَّقِ وَيَصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
They said, "Are you indeed Joseph?" He said "I am Joseph, and this is my brother. Allah has certainly favored us. Indeed, he who fears Allah and is patient, then indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good."
Explained together with ayah 88
Commentary: Tafsir al-Tustari by Sahl al-Tustari. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.
